Judge facing an ethics complaint

A New Jersey judge is facing an ethics complaint alleging that he misused his office when he repeatedly identified himself as a judge while speaking to court staffers involved with his personal child support case last year.

The complaint says Palmer violated rules governing the Courts of the State of New Jersey, by identifying himself as a judge to judicial employees working in Somerset County, where he was a party in a child support matter.

Palmer allegedly told judicial clerks and probation division workers several times that he is a judge, while claiming that his daughter should have been emancipated “a long time ago” to relieve him of child support obligations.

The complaint says he introduced himself as “Judge Palmer” to three different employees during a visit to the Somerset County Probation Division to discuss emancipation proceedings for his child.